Rain of Blood, Scent of Jasmine
by dark aquamarine
Summary: You made the rain of blood fall..." Simple words with a deeper meaning, they were spoken by a lonely woman on a storming night...but...what if fate and destiny were altered? What if, intead of white plum...innocent jasmine mingled with the rain? B
1. I had found him

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Author's Notes: This idea came to me one day while I was rereading the translations of the wonderful RK manga (on _Maigo-chan_'s site ). I had gotten to the point where Kenshin tells the rest of the -gumi about Tomoe and his life as a hitokiri when it hit me…quiet hard, actually. What would happen if Kaoru was actually the one to meet him on that stormy day when the sky rained blood? The events of the whole manga would change, of course…but I was willing, as an avid fan fiction writer and reader, to take that chance. And so with a few messy outlines scrawled with a brown colored pencil, I came up with this beauty you see at the bottom: Rain of Blood, Scent of Jasmine. Now I am readily prepared for flames of all sorts (got my bullet-proof vest and safety helmet all set) because this little alternation of events will probably effect the ending of Wastuki Nobuhiro's beautiful story in more ways than one…or it may not. (It depends on my level of inspiration and caffeine ~_o) Just so you know, I'm planning on having lots of fun with this one and will be hoping for LOTS of lovely reviews…so please…let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. The rights of the wonderful creation all belong to Wastuki Nobuhiro, Sony Entertainment, Shueisha, Jump Comics, and other providential groups. Please do not sue me!

*Some dialog/actions/events are taken directly from the Manga found at _Maigo-chan_'s site of Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations. 

*I was also very inspired by the fic **the snow raven** by Krista Perry (please don't sue me either!) because of her amazing take on the series of events from a first-person's point of view.

Enjoy your read!

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Rain of Blood, Scent of Jasmine

Chapter 1- I had found him

By dark aquamarine

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*~*~*

Hair, the color of blood

Eyes, burning with empty amber

Skin, pale and marred with a hidden scar

I had found him.

*~*~*

A young man sat at a secluded table, away from all the bustling noise and chaos made by the soldiers who occupied the respectable dining house.

He remained quiet and focused on the cup of sake in his small yet slender hand as I entered and gazed about to find a suitable table near but away from his silent figure. Moving towards an empty seat beside his, I felt the gazes of the other men, drunken and impaired, pierce through my young body like customers examining a rack of meat hanging at a market stand. It was disgusting, but I kept my anger inward as well as I could and walked on, steadily and proudly.

He did not even look up when I sank down on the ragged mat in front of my chosen table and slammed the bokken I had been carrying on the edge of the wooden surface. 

Sneaking a sideways glance, I observed his thin and slight stature that was molded into a standard seating position and the slightly bowed head on top of strong but slim shoulders. His hair was indeed the color of blood, yes…but it shown with a certain different light. An almost fiery and burning luminosity. I couldn't see his eyes, for they were hidden from the world by the fire-colored bangs, but I could distinctly make out the long, single slash of a scar on his pale left cheek. 

It was him…the man I was looking for.

The man I was hunting for…to fulfill the revenge of my murdered father, an old soldier killed ruthlessly by the blood-stained hands of the Ishin Shishi assassin during a stormy night. A night not unlike this one.

The waiter of the eating house glided over hesitantly and asked for my order, which I merely stated as some warm sake. I needed the heat of the liquor to calm my nerves before I carried out my vengeance…and also to get rid of the confusion and despair that I was feeling as I looked over at the young man beside me. 

He was supposed to be a demon…at least, that was what my juvenile fourteen year old mind had pictured…he was supposed to have the form of a monster's, with a huge body lined with protruding muscle and scars and wild, bulging eyes that displayed the very bloodlust he had when he drove the katana through my beloved father's body. 

This was not the case, however, and I found myself staring desperately at the small man -no not even a man, a boy, maybe…around the same age as myself- trying to find the evidence of the shadow hitokiri in his slender body. 

The sake was delivered, and I silently put the rim of the cup to my mouth in an act to stop staring, only to be choked by the scalding liquid that I had, due to my nervousness and confusion, hastily poured down my throat without preparation.

Two of the men who had been staring lustfully at me began to approach the table where I sat while snickering at my inexperience with hot sake. The tallest and largest of the men stood in front of me, blocking my view of the young hitokiri, and breathed huskily down on my face. 

"What's a young, innocent little girl like you doing at a place like this, eh?"

I barely refrained myself from wrinkling my nose in disgust at the stench of sake and stale food that accompanied every word of the drunken soldier. Instead, I rose my face to meet his and stared unflinchingly back, hiding my fear and repulsion behind blue eyes that blazed with cold fire.

"I believe that is none of your concern, _good _sir."

I poured myself another cup of sake nonchalantly and smirked behind the rim as the liquid was poured, this time expertly, down my throat. 

The man, who I noticed then to be quite beefy and large -ironically matching my imaginative description of the famed Battousai- fumed outwardly and grabbed my wrist with a swollen and calloused hand. His expression suddenly turned more lecherous as he pulled my body threateningly close to his face.

"Oh, I do enjoy a girl with a sharp tongue…why not come join me for a good drink? Then, after I can escort you to where ever you desire to go. I know the dangers that these streets contain and it won't do for a young woman like you to wander the night alone." 

The tug on my wrist tightened to the point of bruising and my free hand (which was my right, thankfully) started to twitch in anticipation to test out the durability of my bokken against the thick skull of the man.

It was then that I noticed everyone in the dining house, including the red-haired hitokiri, was staring intently at my situation, curious as to what I would do to the idiotic brute. Another smirk formed on my lips and I twisted my trapped hand with startling speed and strength and pulled his huge face down upon the closed fist of my waiting right, earning a loud smack that echoed throughout the silent room.

The gasp that followed, made by all the customers and workers of the house (minus the Battousai, of course) was entirely worth the red and swollen flesh of my hand.

"You stupid little wench, you'll pay for this! Do you know who we are?" The friend of the stricken (and bleeding) man moved over towards the hunched figure with eyes that displayed embarrassment.

"We are patriots of the Aizu branch of the Ishin Shishi! We risk our lives day and night for lowlifes like you…the least you could do is show a little respect and follow orders when your told!" 

Aizu branch? In the Ishin Shishi? What a lie. In this day and age, especially in Kyoto, who didn't know about the band of "heroic" men who claimed to be sacrificing people's lives in order to bring about a new era? A new non-violent era. And here this fool was trying to pull a fib by saying the _Aisu_ was in the Ishin Shishi? Pathetic.

"Hmm…funny but I recall knowing that the Aizu is on the Bakufu side. Am I not mistaken?" A knowing smile stretched across my face as my hand gripped firmly at the bokken by my side, ready and willing to strike if necessary. 

The ugly brute's face paled, then reddened to match his companion's and he reached to draw the scraggly-looking sword hanging limply by his side…only to be stopped suddenly by a white hand with long slender fingers and smooth, shortened nails. 

"Indeed you are not mistaken, miss." The voice came out cool and silky but just as piercing and I couldn't help but turn to gaze at the man who was blocking the sword of the tall and largely built beast with tranquil ease. 

Amber eyes fixed on the pair of men, the young hitokiri let his velvet voice flow through the dining house like swirling smoke, both warning and mocking.

"Let me give you some advice. Kyoto has already seen too much violence, and it is no place for false patriots. I highly suggest you run back to the country…if you value the existence of your lives."

Cold, vicious, yet calm. The words seeped into my skin like a rush of freezing air and I was as motionless as a statue, waiting for what was to come with fierce anticipation. 

The two men, it seemed, were also frozen in place and had the looks of a wild animal caught in front of a pointed arrow, aiming for the kill. It was only when a few impatient patrons started to yell out blasphemes did they regain their posture and stomp out of the building with crimson faces and shaking hands.

The hitokiri, I noticed then, turned to the proprietor and whispered some words of apology while tossing a few coins down upon his table by the unfinished food. He then stealthily walked out of the dining house, seemingly oblivious to the awed and appreciated stares from around the room. 

I stood there, feet still stuck to the ground like a planted tree and stared with wide eyes at the retreating back of my so-called prey. Absently behind me, the owner of the eatery mumbled small praises and appreciations towards the boy and I couldn't help but do anything other than agree.

"Wait." 

Someone then whispered, shakily and timidly and it took a few slow blinks and mutters from the scattered audience around my table to make me realize that it was actually _my_ voice which sounded out into the starless night, hoping to reach the demure figure of my victim for revenge.

I blinked again, then forced my feet to move my stiff and slightly intoxicated body out of the entrance and into the darkness, following the invisible footsteps of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai.

*~*~*

The sky was heavy above me, with graying clouds blanketing the moon and its stars away from my wide-eyed vision. I could feel the cold and chilling breeze of a wind that spoke of storming weather against my skin and the layers of the gi and hakama that I chose to wear in order to provide more mobility for a fight. My thoughts wandered, closing in on the last words my father said to me the day he left to join the many soldiers who were willing to risk their lives and souls for the new era. The Meiji era. 

I was crying, I remembered…the tears that fell from my eyes were ones of pain and desperation…

I didn't want him to leave…I didn't want to feel the empty and aching loneliness that was briefed to me the day my mother had died. I had a part of me die as well then, and I couldn't bear to stand the only remaining person dear to me to be taken away again, willingly or not. 

I had begged and pleaded, with all the might I could muster up from my body that night and was rewarded with a disapproving stare, along with cold but saddened words.

"You must understand, my daughter, the reason for my departure." 

I was sniffling then, desperately trying to get rid of the shameful tears on my face with the edges of my sleeping yukata. 

"Our country is suffering from the violence on her streets…she is weakening, and we, as loyal subjects and offspring, must do all that we can to save her."

His gaze softened and he knelt down in front of my shivering form with a sorrowful smile. I let his warm and calloused hand caress the silky strands of my hair as I fell into his arms with another bout of tears.

"I will understand, father. Once you come back home, you'll explain it to me…and I'll try to understand!"

He comprehended the meaning of my words and chuckled, despite the gloominess of the rain as it flowed down upon us. I felt him tighten our hug for the last time and reluctantly released the strong body to look into his face…and smile.

"Do not forget the duty you were born into, my Kaoru-chan." I locked my large cerulean-colored eyes to his and nodded vigorously in reply. "You will be the next master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, that I am sure of. Do not forget the meaning behind the style that is bound in your blood. Protect the ones you love, my daughter…protect and save, not kill." His words were mingled with the pouring sound of the rain, yet I knew completely what was expected of me and my future.

As my father wandered off into the shadows that the night and rain created, I shouted out words over the thunderous sky.

"I won't forget, father! And I expect you to return and help me keep on remembering!" 

Even though I could not see through the blackened night that surrounded my body and my beloved father's…I knew he was smiling warmly at me through a fall of tears.

***

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He never did return, though. 

I shook my head slowly to get rid of the painful memory as I walked through the pitch-black night. There was no use in dwelling in the past…my father was gone…destroyed by his own people, and all that's left of our family name was me…

Kamiya Kaoru, a cold and drunken teenage girl with a head full of foolish dreams and an empty heart.

It was then that I realized just how hopelessly bemused I was…all my thoughts on revenge and vengeance for my loved one's killer were lying on the verge of forgiveness…and I didn't know what to do anymore. All I knew was that I had to find him…I had to meet the Hitokiri Battousai face to face and look into the depths of his amber gaze to see if he really did not feel any remorse for all he's done…and then…

Then what? Kill him? Destroy his happiness, if he even has any, as he did mine? Or…

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thank him for saving me…

*~*~*

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A/N: Phew, finally done…and it took me a while too. I never thought that making Kaoru an angsty, self-depressed young teenage girl could be so…well…strange. Sure there have been MANY fics of that kind in the past but…hey I'm still considered relatively a newbie to the world of fan fiction so…CUT ME SOME SLACK. Anyways…if you have any concerns on where this is going…or the similarities between it and other works…don't hesitate to tell me so in a review. This idea was straight from my own head and I don't recall ever seeing one like it before but still I have my doubts on the originality (ff.net is a fairly BIG world, you know.). 

Oh yes, and I hope you liked it so far…please tell me if you want me to continue (I'll be accepting constructive critism, complements, you name it) or if any changes need to be made regarding…well…anything at all!

Thank you for reading and till next time (hopefully)…

d. a.


	2. Frozen

A/N: Here's the second chapter! I hope you like it…I think I overdid Kaoru's thoughts a little…so don't be surprised if it gets really boring and sappy. Also…the plot just kind of suspends in this (for now) but don't you worry…I know exactly where this will be headed. (yeah, right…and cows have stripes and can jump over the moon o_O…man, I'm really tired right now)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…yeah.

Rain of Blood, Scent of Jasmine

Chapter 2- I was frozen

By dark aquamarine

(enjoy!)

*~*~*

Life was indeed a strange and perplexing thing. 

I realized that almost abruptly and harshly as I walked through the darkened streets of Kyoto. It was night-time…somewhere around midnight, I supposed, and the shadows of the tea houses and assorted shops suddenly looked menacingly frightful, opposed to the cheerful (although strained) atmosphere of day. 

Inside my head, fuzzy pictures of burning, red hair topped on a thin and lean body began to play, over and over again with insufferable ferocity. On the face of the figure, cold amber eyes blazed from under unruly bangs and I felt a shiver crawl down my back, despite my forced bravery.

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It was just the cold from the wind…that or the disgusting sake served at the dining house.

I tried to come up with excuses…pitiful excuses that would cover up the feeling of fear in my bones, or dread in my stomach.

I disliked to be scared.

But the sake had been warm, meant to serve as a flash of hot relief instead of a chilling cold…and the wind had died down to lingering whispers, serving as the prologue to a terrible fall of rain. 

Damn my stubborn logic. It always appeared when I tried to make up childish fancies to suit my needs…even as a young girl, I was constantly practical, annoyingly sensible.

But I supposed that's what loneliness does to you after losing someone so close to your heart… 

…I had no time to live in a childhood full of dreams…no time to dwell on feminine needs such as dolls or wildflowers. Instead, I had a bokken in my hand and pride in my heart…and to me, that was everything.

Still…my mind -clouded with the liquor that my body couldn't handle- betrayed me and I kept picturing the red-haired hitokiri…in all his magnificence.

I wondered…what did he look like when he killed my father? Did he have an insane, bloodthirsty air to his eyes, or was there remorse and guilt that weighed down their lids? Maybe he just displayed nothing…no guilt, no innocence, no feelings…just the cold, empty amber that was evident at the tavern. 

Something in my heart told me that the last guess was probably correct.

His voice was beautiful. (It's strange what a little bit of sake could do to the control of random thoughts) Low and soft, but hauntingly forceful…like a caring father who had just reprimanded his child. 

I felt like that child…foolishly wandering the streets of a blood-bathed city at night when I should've been sleeping in the room of an empty dojo, miles away. 

I felt foolish and juvenile…and I hated it.

That was the reason why I was perplexed…why I was having such strange feelings towards myself. I had no reason for them…only, _he _made me feel self-conscious. It was all because of the boy, the boy I despised with all of my heart, the killer who destroyed everything in my life. 

But_…he_ was also making me doubt my reasons for acting as I did _-_to destroy-…for living the way I did -with revenge-…I didn't know what to do.

***

The sound of metal scraping along the ground, followed by a rattle of chains startled me from my intoxicated thoughts and brought me back to reality. With strangled breaths, I ran through the darkness of the streets, unconsciously thinking of the small and lithe demon with amber eyes.

Following the unmistakable sound of chains, I reached a street corner, where the single lantern hung on a post made a halo of light on the ground. The circle of white appeared almost like an innocent barrier against the darkness which surrounded it and I was torn between running towards its safety or seeking out the strange sounds. 

Chains rattled again, followed inimitably by a fierce battle cry and I immediately rushed towards the scream, despite the warnings of danger which pounded through my head.

There, beside a black-engulfed building (one which I had not the sense, nor the heart to distinguish), two men were tangled in a complex web of battle. 

***

I couldn't move. 

I couldn't breathe. It was as if all the life that once existed in my body suddenly got drained away by the forceful and deadly swing of a sword…

…and I couldn't help but think that in any other situation, that was exactly what would have happened.

The two men in combat were clearly noticeable by the light of the lantern nearby. One, with waves of crimson tendrils that floated through the air with each murderous strike, was undoubtedly the shadow assassin of the Ishin Shishi, Hitokiri Battousai…and the other…

The other I did not recognize, nor did I have the wish to do so. 

He was horribly large, even under-sizing the two men from the eating house, and carried in his bulky and muscular arms two swords connected together with a sturdy metal chain at the hilts. The long shackle, I then noticed, was tightly twisted around the hitokiri like a constricting snake around its prey, binding the boy's arms to both sides of his body.

It made me want to scream…to reach with my hand and call out to the captured boy who seemed to be struggling uselessly in the chain's hold. My heart was aching painfully as though _it _was actually bounded and squeezed by the rope of metal while my brain was fervently trying to comprehend the reasons why.

What was I feeling? Fear? Pain? 

Compassion? Kami, please let it not be that.

Then…everything seemed to freeze…my heart, my lungs, my brain…even the movement of my soul around my body. My eyes widened to the point of aching as I watched the previously-caught victim manage to get a hold of the chained hilt, just as the larger man was ready to deal the final and fatal blow. The small assassin turned the blade by its handle with speed not comprehendible to my frozen eyes and sliced furiously.

One strike…that was all it took.

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I was frozen.

***

Two halves of a once-whole man fell limply onto the wetted ground. The blood that gushed from the exposed gore sprayed completely over my body, covering me head to toe with the crimson liquid.

I was still unable to move…my breathing had returned but only in small gasping heaves. 

Wanting to scream…to run…to do anything but was unable to, I merely clenched the bokken in my right hand until my knuckles turned white from under the blood.

I felt scared then…terribly scared and weak. I also felt angry and utterly betrayed. 

I had actually foolishly thought that there might've been a possible misjudgment towards the emotionless boy…that people had just been stretching and exaggerating the truth behind those empty saffron eyes.

How entirely wrong, I was.

The young killer stood impassively in the pool of blood, beside the split corpse. Tears of red dribbled down the length of his katana and added to the wetted ground underneath him. He was tense, his back as straight as the metal connected to his sword's hilt and I knew then with a feeling of dread that he had sensed me.

I opened my mouth to speak…but the words wouldn't come. All I could do was scan the area of bloodshed in front of me and let the gnawing anger rise from beneath my skin. 

My choices were clear then…either break from my position and run far, far away to never return, at the same time letting the gruesome sight haunt my dreams till I die…or swallow all my fear and attack with the last few breaths of my life in hopes of fulfilling vengeance. 

The hand gripping my bokken stiffened and I heard myself give a powerful battle cry into the night before rushing towards the young Hitokiri.

I had chosen the latter.

***

"Hitokiri Battousai! I have come to challenge you!"

*~*~*

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Author's Notes: WTF? A cliffhanger? My word, what was I thinking? Oh well…what's done was done, I suppose and there's no turning back now, is there? Anyways…so what did you think? I tried desperately hard to add in more of Kaoru's thoughts and feelings (which, in my opinion, is very evident in this chapter) into this and…well…perhaps I went a little overboard? I honestly don't know. 

You see…I am a very strange person. I have the inability to review my own work…in other words…I may think that something is crap, when really it's the best thing that people have read so far (or so they've said), and vice versa. Given that problem, I think that the best solution would be; befriend someone who knows what he/she is doing at ff.net and make them my beta reader! Seriously though, I'm really not exaggerating when I say I have no idea what the quality of my writing is. That's why I adore getting reviews (even though the stats for this story are close to zip *sigh*)! Soooooo if you are bored with your life currently and are interested in proof-reading my chapters to this story…give me an email!!!! 

Thank you! 

Okay…enough of that. On to my reviews (so far…-ff.net really bugs me sometimes when I get alerts for reviews but they don't show up on my page…so I forget who the screen names are…and blah blah blah blah blah blah)

~**magiabruxa**- Wow…you reviewed BOTH of my fics…I am forever in your debt. *bows low* Thank you! ^_^

~**Rekka's Angel**- Thanks! Yup there will be more…lots more *insert evil laughter here:*

~**cherrybaby**- Yes…Batt/Kaoru definitely rocks my world. Thank you!

~**Clemen**- Thanx, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

~**the sacred light**- Wow…I have a Tomoe-fan reading my fic! *forms stars for eyes* I guess this is a cause for celebration cuz, even though I'm not THAT into T&K, I'm really happy that people (or person, I guess) with different preferences are looking into what I'm writing. Thank you! Um…about my updating schedule…I guess I'm able to handle one chapter a week…or maybe two, but really, I don't have a certain time. I guess I can update whenever I get inspiration. Thanks again!

Till next time…

d.a. (p.s. don't forget to review!)

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	3. By his eyes

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A/N: I don't really have much to say except…I hope you enjoy this new chapter. However, I'm wondering if I should've added more onto this (being the shortest of all my chapters) but my beta-reader said the length was ok so…whatever. Just read and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. *sob*

Rain of Blood, Scent of Jasmine

Chapter 3-By his eyes

By dark aquamarine

*~*~*

I fear you.

Cannot you see the terror in my eyes?

Feel the pain I've endured for so long?

I fear you…yet I am captivated

By your strength, by your power…

By your eyes.

"Hitokiri Battousai! I have come to challenge you!"

*~*~*

I was scared.

I was terrified.

No, those words would be understatements for what I was feeling then…

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I was petrified…to the point of breaking…

…to the point of death! 

Yes, that was a much better description…and I did realize the irony and truth of the statement, as much as I was repulsed by the thought. 

I ran toward the flame-haired man, gripping the trusty bokken with both of my hands as I prepared to strike with strength laced with fear. He was just standing there, -I noticed with a small amount of disgust- the katana stained with blood hanging limply in his hand. The tense stature of his figure was slacken and the thin shoulders slung down upon his form in almost a…tired manner.

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Tired? Impossible…shouldn't he be relishing in the blood that was shed on the street? Inhaling the disgusting metallic scent with eyes glazed over by lust?

I faltered, confused with the weary hitokiri and his air of indifference to my challenge. Allowing the length of the wooden sword to rest on one of his shoulders, just at the base of his neck, I spoke to him in heated whispers.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I want to challenge you…hey, turn around and face me, damn it!"

I emitted a small gasp when the boy twisted his fluent body and, using the previously immobile katana, swiped at my weapon with speed unable to be described as anything but…godly. 

*Crack*

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My bokken.

I looked down at the blood-covered ground with eyes widened by horror.

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No…my bokken!

He had destroyed it…my only weapon…the one I had cherished for so many years because it had been a gift given to me on the first day of my study in kendo…by my father. I used to swear that I could feel the warmth of his gaze on me every time I looked at the blade…every time I slipped my fingers around its hilt…

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Treasure this gift, my Kaoru-chan…remember our ideals whenever you draw the blade from its sheath…

Now it was broken, the two pieces of slender wood marred with splinters and splattered blood from the ground. Split in half…just like the over-grown soldier who was laying beside me on the crimson street. 

__

And now…I can't remember…

I suddenly felt unbelievably nauseous and salty saliva filled up my mouth, adding to the sickening feeling of my stomach. 

The boy placed his blade under my chin, pressing firmly to inflict pain but not enough to draw any blood. I swallowed with a grimace and slowly moved my sapphire eyes to meet his in an act of…

…really, what was I trying to accomplish? Was I trying to plead for my life (as cowardly as it sounded)? Was I trying to persuade him into sparing me once he saw the pain and loneliness in my steady gaze?

No…I realized I wasn't trying to do any of those things.

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I just had to…understand.

The vacant pools of amber flickered ever-so-quickly as my stare met with his. I faintly noticed that he was in a standing position, arm raised to my neck while he held his sword in place. I also noted that I was pathetically sitting with my legs tucked awkwardly under me in the exact center of the pool of blood, still pouring in rivers from the corpse. The symbolic arrangement caused a shiver of disgust to rake my back and I gulped down my throat the vomit that threatened to release for a second time.

"I…I came because I…wanted to thank you…for helping me tonight…" The voice I made sounded weak…pitiful, like a homeless beggar pleading for some measly scraps of food or shelter. 

His face was deathly pale, illuminated by the light of the perpetual lantern and I trembled in spite of myself at the force of his gaze.

"…but then I saw you, just then…I saw you kill that man with only one strike and…" 

His eyes widened and I knew then and there that my chance at surviving through the night was close to nothing…I knew too much…I saw too much…and for that, I would be silenced with the only everlasting punishment known by man on this Earth…

I started to feel dizzy. My head was throbbing violently and the rhythm it made synchronized with the wild beatings of my heart. 

Control was slipping away…but I couldn't stop. Not until I was finished with what I had to say…

"…you confuse me. I-I know there's more to you than that emptiness in your eyes…there's got to be. I just want to…understand…why." 

…_Death._

The sky flashed and rumbled above our forms, finally giving in to the scent of rain that lingered in the wind. It's droplets poured down on us steadily and, by the light of the single lantern nearby, almost seemed to reflect the red color of blood from our bodies. My hair, caught in a casual high pony-tail, plastered on to my face as I stared intently at the wetted tendrils that framed the young killer's form. 

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Like blood…the rain was so much like blood…

I smiled weakly under the pouring rainfall, my eyes darkening to a hue of midnight blue.

"My father used to tell me when I was little…that…in plays, they use "and then the rain of blood fell" to describe violent tragedies…" 

The boy said nothing…but I could sense the tenseness of his features and an air of change in his aura as he stared at my eyes…almost like he knew…and feared…what I was going to say next.

"But…" I said quietly, the pain in my head was unbearable.

"…I see now that…you are the one who really brings the rain."

Black flooded my mind, drowning all my thoughts and dreams in its darkened ink. Vaguely, I saw the face of the boy change from hardened emptiness to…stunned and shocked confusion…like a little boy who had lost his way to shelter…to home. 

The blade fell away from my throat and clattered to the ground just my back weakened, refusing to support my pathetic body. At last, all I could see were those two widened eyes of amber that stared weakly at my fallen form…eyes that had lost all of its mocking, insolent fire…

…eyes just as helpless and as lost as I was…

Before the darkness engulfed me, before I welcomed in the numbing sensation of unconsciousness…I heard the boy give a whispered word, uneven and weakened though the sound of the rain.

"_Jasmine._"

I gave in to the blackness.

*~*~*

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A/N: Still nothing to say…*sigh*…I'm trying to type this up as fast as possible because my parents are being real pain in the asses' and are yelling at me to practice piano…so…there you go. 

I'll put on the reviews from my readers in the next chapter…

Thanks for reading,

Dark aquamarine~

p.s.- Parents are death.


	4. The Ohagi Inn

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A/N: Oh boy…its been quite a while since my last update, ne? I must apologize to the people who read my story during the last update and had to wait for almost a month for a new chapter…***very sorry!*** Seriously though, I had close to **no **time whatsoever to write for the past few weeks because of that damnable activity called piano practice…although I can't really blame everything on that…it wouldn't be fair. No, my other excuse for the lack of update is…I was just plain lazy. 

Let me digress. I would open my Microsoft Works Word Processor and write oh lets say…6 sentences. Then after about the last sentence (#6), I would then slack off and start reading other fan fiction…or do homework online. Then the next day the same cycle starts. 

You see how often I procrastinate?

Yes…but now the chapter is finally finished…and man is it long. (a whopping 3060 words! My longest chapter yet.) I hope everyone is satisfied…I had a lot of fun writing this, so without further ado…

Disclaimer- I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Rain of Blood, Scent of Jasmine

Chapter 4- The Ohagi Inn

By dark aquamarine

*~*~*

Jasmine…he could smell it through the coppery stench of blood. My natural perfume, weaved through my hair and melted into my skin…

…jasmine and blood; the outcome of love and loss.

*~*~*

__

The dark unconsciousness slowly lifted from my clouded mind, leaving a dull black behind my lids. I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly and took in the scene in front of me…or rather, above me.

A ceiling, boarded with wooden beams and whitened walls came into my blurry view almost immediately. It was one in the style of a typical and simple inn, nothing elaborate or detailed, but I noticed that the wood used for the bordering was of deep burgundy cherry, covered with glaze. That meant that it had to be a hotel of somewhat importance…

So why was I brought here? And by whom?

__

Certainly not the…

Hitokiri Battousai…

Realization flooded my mind and chilled my body as I thought back to the previous night's occurrences. No doubt about it…I had fainted, and in the midst of a cold-blooded murderer, who also happened to be my worst enemy at the time. Tears of shame and humiliation welled in my eyes, only to be swiped away by a stubborn hand. How stupid, I was! How shamefully stupid that I had been defeated by the man I had sworn my revenge against…and not even in the heat of battle! He had beaten me with only one strike, his feet barely moved from the spot they were planted when I attacked…

I was a fool to have thought that I could conquer him…how ironic that my usual sense of practicality had failed to see the obvious, when it so stubbornly realized everything else…

"Fucking useless…" I spat out, then noticed the complete silence that was thick in the room…which brought back again the question…

"Where am I?" 

Where was the Battousai? Did he leave me lying on the street (and in the rain) and then in the morning I was found by a passerby? That must've been the case, or how else did I manage to get to the inn, soaking wet and covered in blood? No one in their right minds would've let a bloodied sight like me into their house in the middle of the night. So, who had brought me here…or better yet, 

Why was I alive to be brought in the first place?

Slowly, I leaned my elbows against the softness of the futon I had been lying on and sat up. Immediately the rush of blood went to my head and I groaned a pathetic sound while kneading my fingers across my temples. I should've never drank those cups of sake…should've never tried to prove my strength to those disgusting men.

__

That's what you get for being overly arrogant, always trying to show more strength than you actually had…

So now my no-nonsense conscience returns, ready to rebuke my foolish acts under the influence of sake…I must be going insane, battling my brain with my mind and I stifled a giggle at the silliness of the thought (another evident sign of insanity.). Looking around from where I sat, I noticed the empty space of the room, with nothing to decorate it except for a tattered mat on the floor beside me and the sliding shoji in front of my view. I got out of the warm futon and stood to observe my state of dress (and health) and found that I had been changed out of the bloody gi and hakama and into a modest yukata, which at the same time relieved and worried me.

Who had changed me out of my clothes? Who had brought me out of the rain and into such a nice, comfortable haven?

I furrowed my brow in frustration when I realized that I could answer none of those questions by myself and was about to slide the shoji to look for anyone who would be able to, when a soft sigh reached my ears from the other end of the room. Turning around abruptly, I saw a figure sitting against the wall in the shadows, facing me. It appeared to be sleeping in a most awkward position, with one knee bent against its chest and the other straightened out in front. Its head was downward and ragged layers of hair hid the face from my view.

I couldn't help it…I was curious. 

Slowly, I approached the sleeping figure, clutching the sides of my robe with tight fingers. Perhaps this was the person who had brought me here…who had saved me from the rain of blood and the darkness of the streets. If that were the case, then the person would have my ultimate gratitude. It felt good to know that somebody living in the streets of Kyoto still cared, still had a heart to save a blood-covered nobody that smelled of sake from the rain. 

Reaching the spot directly in front of the figure, I crouched down and peered at him (yes, I noticed that it was a him from the way he dressed, among other things). His hair, a rich fiery kind of red, was matted in front of his face, hiding the features from my curious eyes. Frowning, I bent over to observe the strange hair, when my gaze caught the two swords that were placed beside him, held loosely by a lax arm. Something wasn't right…I could feel a gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach. The man…he was bathed in the shadows at a darkened corner of the wall, obscuring any and all of his features…but…

…the swords, they were ones carried only by powerful and skilled samurai…and that hair…

…hair, red like glowing fire…

*

*

Barely stifling a gasp of horror, I stumbled onto my hands and backside and awkwardly crawled away from the sleeping killer. Murderer…Hitokiri Battousai. 

__

This couldn't be happening! I couldn't be resting in the same room as the cold-blooded killer! It was just too cruel…and painfully ironic. 

All the kind thoughts of giving thanks for hospitality flew right out my head and through the sun-bathed window as I sat in front of the red-haired boy, still blinking from the shock of the discovery. I took in the state of his appearance with caution, that little bit of curiosity from before had dissipated and was replaced with vigilance and the need for survival. 

He was also changed into a new apparel, I noticed, and even though it was dark during our previous encounter, I could tell that it was a different set. A dark navy gi with a white collar and off white hakama pants, the colors suited him, bringing out the intensity of his flaming hair and the softness of his skin. I shook my head quickly, angered at where my thoughts had wandered to. In all rights, I should've been making him suffer for all the pain he'd caused me, not admiring the pigments of his mane. I should've been making him choke out words of remorse or desperation for the murder of my father, along with all the other fathers he had destroyed. I shook my head again at the absurdity of the famed Hitokiri Battousai trembling with fear at a petite, teenaged girl wielding a wooden sword. 

__

I was so foolish…so foolish and naïve. I realize that now…so…maybe it's still not too late…

Sitting with my chin on my knees and my hands tucked under them, I pondered at my new situation, sometimes letting my gaze fall to the two swords by the boy's form. My right hand twitched, its familiar itch at the sight of a blade, wooden or otherwise, came headstrong and I was almost tempted to unsheathe the longest of the two and perform the beginning stance of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Almost. There was still the problem with the Hitokiri Battousai sleeping in front of me to consider. 

So…he chose to spare me. 

I puzzled over the reasons for his actions…and just couldn't seem to figure out why he let me live. I had seen him kill…seen him on one of his 'missions'…and no one in the history of Hitokiri Battousai's legend had done that and lived to tell the tale. Yet, here I was…residing in an inn with the shadow assassin himself…sleeping. The situation was quite peculiar and left me wondering what I should do next…I certainly couldn't kill him (I wouldn't be able to, of course)…nor battle with his swords (judging from how the previous try had turned out)…so what was there left for me to do?

A shuffle of footsteps sounded from outside the rice paper shoji, pausing slightly as if about to enter, then turning to disappear to wherever they had been before. I shook myself from my pondering and decided with a quick glance at the figure to leave the room while the Battousai was still sleeping soundly enough. It was strange but I thought that, being a trained killer and all, he would've been a little more sensitive to his surroundings, whether in slumber or not. With a shrug, I threw away the thought and concentrated on making light footsteps across the empty room and also on how I could still enact my means of revenge against the sleeping boy…without really…enacting revenge. 

I paused just in front of the door, blinking.

Maybe I still had some sake left over in my system after all.

*~*~*

"Ah, you've finally decided to come out, I see."

An old women, hair frosted gray with age, approached me in the long hall, just after I shut the shoji softly. She leaned towards the thin paper of the door, as if trying to listen to the sounds coming from within. All the while, a deep frown was set on her wrinkled face.

"He was asleep when I awoke…I didn't want to wake him so…"

I fidgeted with the thin sleeves of the yukata. The woman's frown seemed to fade at my nervousness and a knowing look flashed across her face.

"I see…well then, let him sleep. Himura-san doesn't do it often enough, especially not this soundly…" She muttered the last few words, then frowned once more as if in deep thought. That made the curiosity in me spark once again, and I couldn't help but want to find out more.

"So…his name is Himura?" Not Hitokiri Battousai…that was just a nickname combined with his deadly skills to strike more fear in people's hearts. 

Unsheathed manslayer…in my opinion, it suited him better.

"Yes…I'm surprised you didn't know. He carried you here himself, last night…though I suppose you probably aren't able to remember anything due to the shock of all that had occurred." She looked piercingly into my eyes just then, as if trying to find something that I didn't know was there, nor what it was she was looking for.

I said nothing to that…what could I have said? Yes, I remembered following him through the darkened streets. Yes, I remembered him slashing a full grown man in half with a single strike. I remembered when the rain fell as blood and also the way he looked into my eyes…lost…searching…uncertain. 

I couldn't have said any of that…so I remained silent as she led me down the empty hall towards a large but simple kitchen. After entering, she slid the shoji closed and sighed deeply, although I couldn't tell what was bothering her so much to have to sigh like she did. 

"Well now, my name is Seki Okami and I am the proprietor of the Ohagi inn." 

I responded accordingly, with a polite bow and quiet words.

"I am Kamiya Kaoru…I…"

I couldn't tell her the truth. Surely not, or I may never get another chance to get close to the Battousai…or should I say, Himura-san. I could…no I would speak none but lies to her…from then on till I leave. Lies…it was better that way, for everyone.

"I am traveling…alone."

The woman pondered at what I had said a great deal, then gazed skeptically at my bowed head.

"Alone, you say? Surely a young girl like you could not be so alone as to follow a stranger into the night…and after getting drunk with sake." She asked, intently and I did not answer. I couldn't…for I did not know what to reply. 

"How old are you exactly, child?"

"I am fourteen…I will be fifteen past springtime." I responded quietly. The old woman's questions had stung a little. It reminded me again of how foolish I had been the night before.

"I see." She let the information sink into her mind, her brow slightly puckered on the tanned and wrinkled face. She cleared her throat loudly. "Well now…I suppose you are hungry. Himura-san didn't mention you eating anything at the tavern." Shuffling across the kitchen, the woman checked on some rice and soup that were cooking over several fires. I was left to ponder at what she said.

So Battou…Himura didn't mention me eating…but did he tell her about the rest? About the murder and the so-called battle and the oh-so-desperate words? Kami, I hoped not, I wouldn't be able to face anyone if they knew.

"Yes, thank you. I would offer to help but I'm afraid cooking is not one of my finer traits."

She turned around and regarded me with a strange look…like a cross between satisfaction and humor. The subtle hostility was gone, to my comfort, and I found myself relaxing from a tenseness I didn't know was there before. 

"That's quite alright." She said with laughter in her voice. "I've already prepared everything…but I could use some help distributing them to the other customers. They should be a hungry bunch today and my old arms are getting tired from carrying so many bowls and pots." 

I smiled and nodded "of course", then began to fill small wooden bowls with miso soup and others with rice. Okami-san, to my relief, did not ask me nor mention anything else about the night, although I suspected that she knew more than I thought. Instead, she busied herself by setting some food on the table in the corner. Then I was motioned with a wrinkled but lean hand to sit by the table, where a bowl of steaming soup was placed. 

I sat and raised the aromatic miso to my mouth, inhaling the saltiness of the wakame* and the bland scents of tofu. Much better than what I used to make. Definitely much better.

"So, I suppose you'll want a room to stay in…I'm afraid there isn't much space here, anymore…at least not since Kogoro-sama and the rest of the Ishin Shishi arrived." Okami stressed out the names purposely and stared at my face for my reaction. She probably expected me to sputter and choke on my soup, or something of that nature, because hearing the name Ishin Shishi around Kyoto nowadays was like acknowledging, for the first time, a deadly disease that was threatening one's body. No one wanted to believe it, yet suffered all the same because it _was_ there…feasting off of the soul…slowly destroying the very being or beings that made it flourish. At least, that was what _I _thought of the Ishin Shishi. Dishonorable killers.

"Wherever you allow me is fine. I am thankful that your letting me stay…and I will try to help in any ways that I can." I replied evenly, or as evenly as possible under the scrutinizing stare of the old woman. Her look turned puzzled for a moment, then relaxed again as I laid the bowl onto the table.

"So you know who he is, then?"

"Yes." I looked into the woman's eyes, searching for the hidden secret or meaning behind her questions, which sounded more like statements than anything. What was it about her manner that made me feel guilty yet comforted at the same time? I felt like a small child being lectured by her grandmother and I had to admit I liked it. I didn't feel so alone anymore…at least not at that moment.

"And you are willing to stay…even when you know of the nightly assassinations and bloodshed on the tainted streets made by most of the people here?"

Was I really willing to stay? Or was it the drive for revenge that bound me to the men of the Ishin Shishi? I supposed it wasn't really relevant…the outcome would be the same, no matter what the circumstances…right?

"…yes. I know of all that happens in the streets…but I am just a mere traveler. It doesn't matter to me what other people do with their lives…nor does it affect my desire for a place to rest." Lies, all of it were lies.

"I see…" Okami smiled faintly but had a look of sadness and pity in her eyes. She seemed to want to say something more, but in the end just stood and took away our finished breakfast. "Well then I guess we better start working now. Everyone should be up around this time." 

She handed me some trays with bowls of food, which I stacked neatly on top of each other and then turned towards the shoji with a wide grin. 

"Ah, and I think Himura-san is up and wondering where his mystery maiden had gone."

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Author's Notes: Well? What do you think? I honestly had a lot of fun writing this chapter and am pretty satisfied, myself, with the results. Now all that's left is for the reviews to come…so I can improve and write more! 

Oh yes…and if anyone is confused with the story (plot, characters, settings, etc.), do not hesitate to tell me. I'll probably make a information page to answer questions and explain just what the heck is going on. ^_~

Now on to the reviews…

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Wolfgirl13- I'm glad you like this and I hope you review for this chapter as well!

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Satora Bonai- Yes, Batt/Kaoru pairings are heaven, aren't they? About Tomoe's part in the story…I have a vague idea formed in my head, but if you have any suggestions, I'll willingly receive them! I can say one thing, though…unless Tomoe confronts Kenshin with a gardening shovel and some deadly radishes, the whole 'challenge you' thing is **not **going to happen ^_^.

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magiabruxa- Thank you…here's the next chapter!

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SesshaWaRurouni- Yes, yes…the cliffy. Well, it looked like a good place to stop, so I just said, what the heck! I'll do it! *ahem* Anyways, thanks for your compliment on my writing…you just don't know how happy it made me feel! *grins*

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chibiBattousai- Hmm…yes, some people have called me meanie many times before…but I just can't help it. I rather enjoy cliffhangers, myself. It keeps me at the edge of the seat and fuels my curiosity. Also, whatever consequences you have in store for me…please let it not include hippos of any kind or form. Lordy, do I hate those nasty creatures *shudder*.

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baka- Thank you…and here's the 'more' you asked for.

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Rekka's Angel- Thank you for your compliments. Yes, it was truly hard to keep the characters IC…and I'm still having doubts about my job, so far. If you have any other suggestions, please don't hesitate to let me know! Thanks again.

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Roku-chan- Wow, what nice compliments to receive. Thank you so much!

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Nanaka- Thanks!

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Drear of Silence- I didn't know how angsty I could get until this fic…hmm.

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fanfiction wanderer- Wow, thank you! Comparing my fic to the movies? Oh my, this calls for its own little celebration. I have to admit, however, that I've never actually seen the Samurai X movies *blushes*…maybe once I get some money of my own, I'll go and buy them.

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mika- Thanks…well, I tried not to make Kaoru so very OOC and I'm glad I accomplished it (according to what people say, at least). And yes, Kaoru and Battousai become very close in the future ^_~.

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Himura Kamiya Kaoru- Thank you very much!

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kaoru182003- uh…thanks, I guess. I'm not really fond of threats concerning updates…but thank you just the same for wanting to read more *grin*.

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Amanda H.- Thank you…although I'm not really sure what you meant by withdraws. Hog tie my parents? Well that's an idea…

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toka- Thanks for the suggestion…I'll keep that in mind next time they get on my back.

That's it for now…don't forget to review! It really helps me process more ideas…till next time!

d.a.

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